LEARNERY Microschool

Microschool — Learnery — Little U

Microschool

Learnery: a microschool that starts with your child’s curiosity.

Learnery is Little U’s microschool for homeschoolers, neurodivergent children, school-avoidant children, and families building an education that actually fits. Every learner’s progress is recorded on a real, portfolio-based transcript with Mastery Transcript Consortium®.

Little U Learnery
What it is

Three tracks, one approach

Learning that follows the learner, not a syllabus — held together by a trauma-informed, competency-based approach we call TIE x CBE.

Learnery is for anyone building a family education, a youth’s own portfolio, or a career as an educator. Whichever track you’re on, your progress builds into a real transcript through our Mastery Transcript Consortium® membership — evidence that counts toward school placement, further study, or work.

The Little U Engine

4 competencies, 16 criteria

Every project a learner completes builds evidence against one of these criteria.

CompetencyCriteria
Critical Thinking Reason, Relevance, Precision, Fairness
Creativity Curiosity, Self-Direction, Adaptation, Resilience
Communication Authenticity, Courage, Clarity, Consideration
Collaboration Responsibility, Interconnectedness, Open-Mindedness, Long Term View
8 Fields of Study

Organise your criteria around what you love

Every criterion above can be built into a project in any field.

FOS 1 · CP

Cultural Production

Creativity, expression, and the arts — from early play to curated exhibitions and design portfolios.

FOS 2 · EC

Embodied Cognition

Physical literacy, motor skills, and mind-body integration, from movement play to sports science.

FOS 3 · FW

Familial Wellness

Emotional safety, attachment, and communication — the relational skills that hold a family together.

FOS 4 · HN

Health & Nutrition

Hands-on cooking, meal planning, and understanding food systems, toward lifelong wellbeing.

FOS 5 · MR

Mathematical Reasoning

Numeracy, logic, and modelling — core quantitative thinking for real-life situations.

FOS 6 · MA

Metalinguistic Awareness

Language play, literacy, and bilingualism — a foundation for sophisticated communication.

FOS 7 · SI

Scientific Inquiry

Curiosity and evidence-based reasoning, from nature journals to original experiments.

FOS 8 · TC

Trade Connections

Economy, commerce, and sustainability — from pretend market stalls to real entrepreneurship.

“Enjoy learning. Grow deep. Love yourself.”

Family Track · For ages 3–14

Built for caregivers building 21st-century competency alongside their children

The Family Track is where a parent becomes their child’s first and closest educator, with real support. Both the child and the caregiver are learners here — the caregiver isn’t just supporting from the sidelines, but an active part of the process.

Each mastered project earns a micro-credential on the child’s Little U x MTC Transcript, which supports entry into the Youth Track, secondary school placement, or vocational work. The caregiver teaches. The child demonstrates. Both are held to a standard, and both grow.

Family Track learners at Forest School
A family’s story

“Little U has provided a safe learning and social environment for my children and me. With the child protection guidelines and trauma-informed practices, I know that my family is in safe hands. My girls found companions to grow together in Little U.”

— Zhen Xin, parent (Little U 2018–present)
Youth Track · For ages 13–24

For young people building portfolio-based transcripts for higher education and employment

On the Youth Track, learners build their own portfolio against the same 16 criteria, choosing projects across any of the 8 Fields of Study — from a robotics build at 14, to a full neuroscience research report at 18. Every project is verified by Little U educators and external evaluators from industry, so the transcript is never self-reported: it’s earned, checked, and credible.

CreditsLevelOpens the path to
10–13 credits Established Level
Year 10 standard work
University foundation year or diploma admissions
14–16 credits
4–6 at Applying Level
Applying Level
Year 12 standard work
Undergraduate admissions

Each credit takes a minimum of four months to a year to build.

Youth Track learners at the December Art Show
A youth’s story

“The main ability that my time in Little U has given me is confidence. It gave me opportunities and set me in situations to better my strengths and skills that I would not have otherwise gained — from business etiquette and email writing to project management and punctuality.”

— Yael, Program Director 2024, Guest Speaker Series (Little U 2018–2024)
Teaching Track · For ages 25 and onward

For educators developing trauma-informed, interest-led pedagogy

The Teaching Track equips caregivers and educators with professional development in Trauma-Informed Education (TIE) crossed with Competency-Based Education (CBE), fostering the skills for community-based learning facilitation. You’ll engage in hands-on teaching, reflective practice, and training in curriculum design and collaborative instruction — growing personally while building effective learning environments.

TermFocus
Term 1
January to April
Trauma-Informed Education
Term 2
July to October
Competency-Based Education
GroupWhen
Family Track caregivers First Friday of each month
Youth Track caregivers Fourth Saturday of each month
Youth Track educators First Friday of each month

From 2028, invited participants may work toward a Little U x MTC Transcript for 16 Advanced Credits across 4–6 projects for their own professional portfolio as a TIE x CBE educator.

A visiting educator’s perspective

“Totally blown away by what you’re doing at Little U — so carefully and thoroughly designed and implemented. Was especially impressed with how you get all teachers fully on board with Little U’s vision and make the education so student-led.”

— Dr. Jon Beale, peak performance coach; Research Affiliate, Harvard Institute of Quantitative Social Science
How it works

Your enrolment journey

Twelve steps, six stages, from your first enquiry to the start of term.

1. Enquire
1

General enquiry

Free 30-min Calendly call

2

Fill in the form

5–7 min, no fee

2. Confirmation of placement
3

Hear back

Personal WhatsApp message

4

Make payment

Secures the place

3. Home visit
5

Home visit

1.5h with your consultant

4. Systems & community setup
6

Join MTC Dashboard

Learner account ID

7

Join track channels

WhatsApp & Discord groups

8

LU Family Chatroom

Dedicated coms with the team

9

Tool orientation

Docs, calendar, sheets & more

5. Term preparation
10

Select modules

Guided 10-day window

11

Join the classes

Added to class groups

6. Start of term
12

Start the term

Every January and July

Curious which track fits your family?

A 30-minute call is the first step — no forms, no pressure, just a conversation.